Adapted by Karen Lease in 2003 for Australia in part from the original article

Getting a Cat, written by Cindy Tittle Moore in 1991 & updated in 1997.

If your kittens or adult cat/s have been raised and sold accorded to NSW laws there is no need to take it to a vet when you first acquire it, as it will be vaccinated and microchip with a few weeks or days of you obtaining it unless it appears to be sick. In other states, you should have your new cat examined by your vet to check for signs of disease or parasites if it is not sold with a vaccination certificate which is current or appears sick.

The vet should check the cat's temperature; look for fleas, flea eggs, ear mites, and signs of ringworm; check for overall health and liveliness; and update the cat's vaccinations if necessary. It's also a good idea to have the vet test the cat for common illnesses. If your new cat is not already neutered or spayed, talk to your vet about when would be a good time to schedule the neuter/spay surgery. Don't assume that your cat or kitten is too young for the surgery; new research shows that neutering and spaying as young as 7 weeks has no adverse affects on the cat's physical and social development.

Young kittens need a series of vaccinations ("kitten shots") to help protect them from feline Herpesvirus (Rhinotracheitis), Calicivirus, and Panleukopenia. Many commonly given kitten shots also protect against Chlamydia. For the best immune response, the kitten shots are given at three- or four-week intervals from age 7 or 9 weeks to age 14 or 16 weeks.

If your new cat is a rescued adult or older kitten, make sure it has a current vaccination certificate. Otherwise, visit your vet to ensure that a vaccination program is initiated. Many people also vaccinate their cats against Feline Leukemia. This vaccine is more expensive, but it is recommended if your cat goes outdoors. The incidence of Feline Leukemia is very low on the East Coast of Australia but much higher on the West Coast but still far less than most parts of the world.

Have your new cat tested for exposure to Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV). If the cat is positive, you will need to keep the cat indoors, separate from all other cats, or you run the risk of infecting other cats. Other common tests are for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and Feline Infectious Anemia (FIA). It is not possible to test directly for the deadly disease Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). There is a test sometimes known as an "FIP Test," but this test actually does not test for FIP or for FIP virus. It tests for exposure to viruses in the coronavirus family (FIP is one of many coronaviruses). If you do decide to use the "FIP test," be aware that its results are very difficult to interpret correctly. Perfectly healthy cats often test positive on this test, even if they have never been exposed to FIP. If your vet believes that an otherwise healthy cat has FIP because of a positive test result, you may want to seek a second opinion.

Remember that you will be visiting your vet on an annual visit throughout the life of your cat/s, so make sure that you can talk to your vet with ease and confidence. If you do not understand what it being communicated, ask questions and ask that they explain in plain English. If you can not communicate effectively with your veterinarian, the health and well being of your cat/s may suffer. It is better to travel a longer distance and have good communication than to feel uncertainty that your cat/s are receiving the best possible care for their health.